thoughts from a little urban homestead

to start…

I grew up in Upstate New York on 14 acres in the middle of nowhere. Nature was a huge part of my life. Other kids had real neighbors and we had deer, turkeys, rabbits, birds, squirrels, and all sorts of wildlife as fellow members of our neighborhood. My parents were gardening junkies and every year our garden grew dramatically, incorporating crazy kinds of squash, potatoes, string beans, lettuce (not just one kind, but every kind known to man), herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, and everything you could think of that grows in Zone 5. My father can attribute his love of gardening to my grandfather. I attribute my love of gardening to my parents. I, too, have the gardening junkie gene.

Mom & Dad

It was evident that I’d always have a soft spot for animals as a child when I became obsessed with a book called The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader (first published in 1949), which tells the story of animals surviving winter. I worried and cried about how deer would find food and wondered where the bunnies went to sleep at night. Fast forward to three years ago when I decided I couldn’t possibly EAT these furry creatures that I love so much. I swore off eating any four legged animals or poultry and my husband, Chris, joined me. He is also an animal lover, clearly.

Chris at his grandmother's farm

I am not perfect. I eat fish. I eat dairy. I eat eggs (if they are certified humane or from my grandmother-in-law’s farm). However, I do feel I am one less person contributing to the meat industry and I will continue to aspire to being a true vegan one day.

So, what is this blog all about?
All around me I see people making efforts to eat with a conscience, even if they can’t make it all the way to that perfect vegan label. Perhaps all you can do is eat vegetarian for one week out of a month. Maybe your family has vegetarian Mondays. If you are hardcore, maybe you go vegan for a month out of the year. This blog is to celebrate the steps we are all taking, the wonderful vegetables that we can grow, the delicious animal -friendly meals we can eat, and the respect that we can give to Mother Nature, one veggie at a time.

Hello! I’m Cara and this blog serves as my outlet to share garden adventures, veggie recipes, and general things in life that I’m passionate about like family and nature. My career is in publishing, but I have a camera with me always and dream of someday calling a veggie farm my own. Thanks for stopping by.